traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (such as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

Traumatic brain injury occurs when the shock from an explosion damages neurological fibers. Soldiers may survive a blast with scarcely a cut, only to find over time that they suffer coordination and memory loss, dizziness, insomnia.

—Nancy Gibbs

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al.

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI

Examples of traumatic brain injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the official wouldn't say how many of those were deemed to have suffered traumatic brain injuries, citing patient privacy rules. —Jay O'Brien, ABC News, 9 May 2024

But after his child’s traumatic brain injury, Sulzer’s eyes were opened to how much his field was missing about the real experiences of families dealing with recovery. —Stat Staff, STAT, 8 May 2024

Here, Jones plays a traumatic brain injury survivor. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2024

One of the boys suffered a traumatic brain injury, while another boy’s spine was injured and his lungs were bruised, authorities said. —Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024

Yarl was 16 at the time and suffered a traumatic brain injury after being shot April 13, 2023, the suit says. —Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024

Sean had been hospitalized for what doctors believed was a traumatic brain injury that left him non-verbal, physically unstable and cognitively impaired. —Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

Denise Roberts, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and back pain, was standing with her back to the wall when the vehicle Chidester was driving plowed through, the lawsuit states. —Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 1 May 2024

Months of therapy and ongoing medical monitoring Because traumatic brain injuries can affect the entire body, Aaron had to re-train many muscle groups, according to Whitney Walker, the physical therapy assistant. —Stephanie Colombini, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

A soldier—or a civilian—can survive the blast without a single penetrating wound and still receive the worst diagnosis: traumatic brain injury, or TBI, the signature injury of the Iraq War.

—Michael Mason, Discover

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al., USA Today

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI